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Dr. Drew

Police: Robin Williams Killed Self

Aired August 12, 2014 - 21:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. DREW PINSKY, HLN HOST (voice-over): Tonight, a frank conversation about Robin Williams -- and depression, addiction, and hope.

Friend, neighbors, fellow performers who knew him, are here.

And I`ll answer your Twitter questions about mental illness and suicide.

Let`s get started.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PINSKY: Good evening. My co-host is Samantha Schacher.

And coming up, Twitter just lit up with questions about depression, addiction, suicide. I`ll be answering some of them. And we will talk to

people who knew Robin Williams well, and sometimes for years, Sam.

SAMANTHA SCHACHER, CO-HOST: Yes, Dr. Drew. We have an exclusive with Pauly Shore. His mom founded the Comedy Store, where Williams performed

for years.

Also joining us was a friend of Robin Williams for 35 years.

PINSKY: Fantastic.

But, first, we now know a lot more about what happened in that dreadful demise of Robin Williams. Take a look at this.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: I hate to have to report this. Breaking news just into CNN, is that actor Robin Williams is dead at 63 from an apparent

suicide.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Williams` life ended from asphyxia due to hanging. The personal assistant was able to gain access to Mr. Williams`

bedroom and entered the bedroom to find Mr. Williams clothed in a seated position unresponsive with a belt secured around his neck with the other

end of the belt wedged between the clothes closet door and door frame. The inside of Mr. Williams left wrist had several acute superficial transfer

cuts. As revealed, Mr. Williams had been seeking treatment for depression.

PINSKY: There are tens of millions of people in the country with this disorder. Tens of thousands at least will die as a result of these

conditions this year.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PINSKY: Joining us to discuss, HLN`s Yasmin Vossoughian, Karamo Brown, host of #OWNShow on Oprah.com, and Mackenzie Phillips, recovery

advocate at Pasadena Recovery Center.

Sam, is there more yet that we know?

SCHACHER: Yes. This is what we know. So, we know that his wife, Dr. Drew, went to bed at 10:30 p.m. At some point, Robin Williams left and

went it a different room.

We know at 11:45, his personal assistant was trying to get a hold of him, couldn`t get ahold of him. So, ended up finding him, as we just heard

in that package, in his bedroom, and he was at that point in rigor mortis. It is even hard to say.

Also, there was found at the scene, a pocket knife with blood on it, and toxicology reports won`t be available for to two to six weeks.

PINSKY: And, Yasmin, you`ve been looking into Robin`s past. Tell us what you found.

YASMIN VOSSOUGHIAN, HLN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, you can`t help but think that he had the cards stacking up against him, saying that he is

predisposed to depression and to alcoholism. He had a cancelled sitcom "The Crazy Ones", he had returned to rehab like we talked about last night,

in July, for maintenance.

And, you know, he had two divorces and he mentioned in an article that those divorces were kind of ripping his heart out through his wallet. I

actually have a quote from Robin about that same article, talking about how reacts when things -- when the cards are down, when things are down. He

said, "My film career was not going too well. One day, I walked into a store, saw a little bottle of Jack Daniel`s. And then that voice -- I call

it the `lower power` -- goes, `Hey, just a taste, just once.` I drank it."

PINSKY: Well --

VOSSOUGHINA: So, the cards were down, the cards were stacked against him and he fell back into that abyss of alcoholism.

PINSKY: And, Mac, I got to think that, you know, relapse starts a lot long before that first drink. You got to think that there was something

more going on there. Depression clearly part of this.

But help people understand how that disease talks to you, and why it`s such a disease.

MACKENZIE PHILLIPS, RECOVERY ADVOCATE, PASADENA RECOVERY CENTER: OK, Drew. My thoughts and prayers go out to Robin`s family. He was a kind man

and he was kind to me when it really mattered, and when it was just so powerful to me.

Addiction, alcoholism, it`s a subtle foe, it`s a quiet foe. When you`re clean and sober, sometimes these behaviors start coming up. You

start becoming defensive or angry or quick to anger. Your tolerance for frustration goes down.

And that`s when it`s important to self intervene. You know? And look inside and go what`s going on. Why am I gripping the steering wheel like

this and take that moment to look inside and maybe pick up the phone and call somebody else. If you take all of the movies and money and cancelled

sitcom out and you just leave in the humanity of it, you`re describing people all over the world. You know?

PINSKY: Yes.

PHILLIPS: It just so happens that Robin had this framework of celebrity and it`s just heart breaking.

PINSKY: Yes. And, Mac, I understand you guys knew each either when you were a lot younger.

PHILLIPS: We did. You know, he watched out for me, in the days -- in the `70s when both of us were baby addicts running around Los Angeles, long

before we knew what sober meant. He would say, you OK, kid? You need anything? I can get you in the club. Are you OK?

He was kind and just, you know, what everybody is saying is what I experienced. I was hit -- I almost fell to my knees when I saw the news on

my phone. I know that it affected so many people that way, whether they knew him or not. I hadn`t seen Robin in decades and I felt like I had been

punched in the gut.

PINSKY: Karamo?

KARAMO BROWN, #OWNSHOW: Yes, Mackenzie, hearing what she says, it`s very heartbreaking this whole thing about Robin Williams. But I wanted to

bring up a knew thing of we`re all in the same business of being in the front of the camera. And I just want to start knowing is when do we demand

that the unions here to protect us start to make mental health and self care a priority. Because I looked on IMDB and I saw 200 actors have died

of suicide. And, of course, that`s a big number.

And so, where are the union -- where are the people in our industry saying, we need to start looking out, making mental health a priority?

Because what I`ve noticed is that people feel more secure saying they went to rehab than saying I need mental assistance.

PINSKY: Oh my God!

PHILLIPS: Absolutely.

PINSKY: Yes. Term rehab -- I don`t even know what people are talking about when they say rehab anymore, as oppose -- I love this euphemism

that`s flying around. He battled inner demons.

Listen, demons, are what people talked about, people suffering from with brain disorders in the middle ages. Demons -- these are brain

diseases. Why don`t we talk about demons when someone has a heart attack? We could. We used to 300 years ago. Why don`t we just call those demons

when somebody is fighting a heart disease?

The fact is brain disorders are precisely the same. Mac, I see you nodding your head.

PHILLIPS: Absolutely. Chemical dependence and alcoholism and depression is about perceptions and thoughts. It`s not about --

PINSKY: Broken perceptions and thoughts.

PHILLIPS: Your brain is hijack bade chemical or by the lack after chemical, like, you know, dopamine or serotonin. And so, therefore, you

perceive the world as a threatening place.

And you said last night, Drew, are we going to fault someone because their heart is faulty?

PINSKY: Right.

PHILLIPS: No. The brain is the organ. The brain is where the problem centers. It doesn`t mean that you`re sick or you`re demonic.

PINSKY: You`re not bad or demonized or suffering from demons or inner demons.

Sam, what do you want to say?

SCHACHER: No, I just wanted to piggyback on what Karamo was saying. I thought it was interesting and such a valid point that there is no real

mental health advocacy coming from our unions, because, Dr. Drew, I have a question for you.

SCHACHER: I agree.

(CROSSTALK)

PINSKY: Sam, Sam, our whole country doesn`t look as mental health as priority. I have been struggling with it for years

SCHACHER: I know, absolutely.

But when people are in the entertainment industry, and this is a question to you, does it make it that much harder to have public scrutiny,

to have all the comments and social media, the negative ones, when you are dealing with depression.

PINSKY: It certainly doesn`t help. The schedule doesn`t help.

SCHACHER: It`s got to make it worse.

PINSKY: It makes it worse, but really the real thing that my research has shown is the kind of person that strives to be in this medium is who is

at risk.

Yasmin, last thought.

VOSSOUGHIAN: I wanted to quickly ask Mackenzie, what is it like to be someone who is an addict, but also to be in the public eye.

PINSKY: Yes, perfect.

VOSSOUGHIAN: Someone who is a celebrity like that, and we think they have the perfect life and in actuality, they are suffering so much.

PINSKY: Yes.

Mac?

PHILLIPS: You either choose to live your recovery out loud or you choose to hide it in the closet. And if you choose to hide it in the

closet, not only were you doing a disservice to other people who need recovery, but you`re doing a disservice to living your own truth and living

out loud.

I`m an addict. I`m an alcoholic. I`m clean and sober. And I`m proud of it.

And I want to spread that message. I`m -- it`s OK if I break my own anonymity. You know?

And so, yes, look, I want to say one thing real quickly and I know we almost out of time here. But our unions, Screen Actors Guild and Actor,

and all these different unions, they give us the opportunity to seek out mental health care.

PINSKY: Right. There they have good coverage.

PHILLIPS: We have excellent coverage.

But the stigma is so strong that you do it under -- it is covert, man. It`s covert.

PINSKY: I think the stigma that needs to be addressed more than anything else.

PHILLIPS: Yes.

PINSKY: All right. Next up, Pauly Shore, comedian here, his mom owns the Comedy Store. And that, of course, where Robin Williams made many,

many appearances. He has know -- or had known Robin essentially his entire life.

We`re back after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBIN WILLIAMS, ACTOR: I was up in Alaska. And all of a sudden, I had been sober for 20 years. I went into a store and saw a little bottle

of Jack Daniels and went, oh, I`ll be fine, I`ll be OK. The moment I had the first sip, it was like -- it was like welcome back (EXPLETIVE DELETED).

A week later, I was walking down the street with like 10 little bottles of Jack Daniels in my pockets. I sounded like (EXPLETIVE DELETED)

wind chime.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PINSKY: There it goes. That`s how it works. That was from "The Daily Show", Robin Williams discussing relapse and how it works.

I`m back with the behavior bureau. Pauly Shore joins us. He knew Robin for many years. Many performances at the Comedy Show, which is co-

founded and owned by Pauly`s mom.

I still got Mackenzie Phillips, recovery advocate of Pasadena Recovery Center. And joining us, Emily Roberts, psychotherapist.

Now, Pauly, let`s start with you, since you`re the one who has really -- had known Robin your entire life. You even talked about him in your

act. I want to show you something, take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAULY SHORE, COMEDIAN: I was born and raised here. My mom owns the Comedy Store on Sunset Boulevard. She always had after parties. She would

call comedians to the house for after parties. Robin Williams would be like nanu, nanu, nanu, nanu. I`m like, mom, I guess you`re not making me

that sack lunch.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PINSKY: That was from Showtime.

Pauly, were you a little kid at that point? What`s that like?

SHORE: I was like Mackenzie. I mean, Mackenzie grew up in the `70s, I grew up in the comedy store in the `70s. It was -- it was the house. It

was the house that all the comics came back to. And I was like 11 years old.

And my mom would pretty much have the different comedians come over to the house and Robin was there with Sam Kennis (ph) and Richard Bellzer

(ph), Danny Stoner, Hamilton and basically they were getting high. And my mom was drinking and the comics were getting buzzed.

My mom basically invited all of the comedians back to the house after the show. And I pretty much went downstairs to tell my mom to shut up, I

had school in the morning.

And in there would be Robin Williams, you know? He used to actually - - the Comedy Store on Sunset, the office used to be at my house and Robin used to pick up his "Mork & Mindy" check at the house. And that`s where

the office was.

And he used to have the outfit and it`s true story, my mom would pay him. And I was really little. And he would pick up his check and go nanu,

nanu to me. This picture here is my two brothers, Scott and Peter. This was down in San Diego.

PINSKY: Let`s put that picture up if we can. There it is.

SHORE: That`s Robin wearing Speedos in the middle. Then I`m on the other side.

PINSKY: Very European.

SHORE: Yes.

And he was part of our family. And you know, that`s the thing, is like with Robin`s death, it is not just the comedy family, it`s the world.

Everyone is really -- every race, every genre, everyone is just mourning right now. It just sucks that this happens.

PINSKY: Yes, and you knew him better than obviously any of us. Did this shock you? Did you see it coming? Were you worried this might

happen?

SHORE: Well, I think that the way that everyone is -- all the news is covering about how he passed away, no one thought that would -- that would

happen. And that`s what is so -- what`s so sad is, I`m so sad that Robin was hurting so much and he was so sad.

PINSKY: Yes.

Emily, let`s talk about that. When somebody -- in my experience, when a patient hangs or attempts even hanging, that is a highly impulsive act of

desperation to alleviate pain, and they`re really in an altered state.

I remember talking to an all-time psychiatrist, who hypothesized, they were actually psychotic in that moment. If you can get them through that

moment, they don`t want to do it any more, but they often do it.

EMILY ROBERTS, PSYCHOTHERAPIST: Which is why it was a lot of these cases, as a psychotherapist, what we do is we coach them through what to do

when you feel those intense emotions. And I don`t know that he ever felt those intense emotions until later in his life. He was suffocating them

with drugs and alcohol.

And what winds up happening is when we don`t experience these emotions, they build up and they build up. And yet, you`re right, what

happen says you wind up seeing somebody who goes down this rabbit hole of emotions very quickly and does something impulsive.

But I can`t help but wonder if it really was impulsive, because if at the end of the day, he was in so much pain, so much pain, that he had to go

to this length to end his life.

PINSKY: Yes.

And, Samantha?

SCHACHER: Yes, Dr. Drew, if it was impulsive and it did happen quickly as you guys are speaking of, what can family members even do? What

are the red flags if this t is happening so quick?

PINSKY: Yes, it is -- sometimes you can`t do anything. This is one of the sad facts.

Mac, you can speak to this. One of the things that breaks my heart about addiction and about depression is sometimes even with best care, and

best treatment, and best intentions by everybody, just like a cancer that runs out of control, in spite of good treatment, brain diseases behave the

same way.

PHILLIPS: Brain diseases behave the same way is exactly true. When I was -- when you guys were talking, I was thinking about how, when -- you

know, when you`re young and yourself medicating, whether it be depression or early childhood trauma, you`re self medicating with drugs and alcohol

and that moment comes where you go, wow, this isn`t working anymore. And I can`t not use. So, then you stop, and like Robin did, you get sober.

But then there comes that time where the pain comes back up. Depression comes back p up. Issues resurface because you never really

dealt with them. And I`m only speaking from my own point of view. I don`t know what Robin, what he dealt with and what he didn`t.

But you go back to what you know, what worked in the past. And that`s generally going to be for someone like me, someone, you know, with drugs

and alcohol, and you`re trying to self medicate again and again and again and it just doesn`t work anymore.

And I can`t imagine the depths -- well, I can, I`ve been there, but I didn`t do the final act --

PINSKY: Thank God.

PHILLIPS: --of despair and isolation that one can feel.

PINSKY: Pauly, I`ve got less than a minute here. Can you tell me your thoughts? You`ve been around so many comedians, people keep asking

the question, is there something about comedians that you think links them to depression and substance abuse?

SHORE: Yes, comedy is a very lonely -- it`s a lonely existence. I mean, you know, you`re on stage with just you and the audience. And you

know, you get -- you get the love, from them, and you feed off of it. I mean, I perform in some really bizarre towns and I travel some really weird

places. But I do it because I know at the end of the day, I`m going to be in front of a bunch of people that love me.

And I think with comics, all of the other comics, that`s part of the drug, is just going out on stage and feeling that connection with people,

because you get to be so close with those people. But yet, you`re so not close with them, because the second you leave that stage, they are out of

your life.

PINSKY: That`s right.

SHORE: So, it`s a sickness and drug that a lot of comics have. And I know I have to and Robin and all of the comics watching this right now --

they have -- you know, they have that sickness and that feeling where they have to get up and touch people.

PINSKY: You mentioned a lot of people in your list of comedians at your mom`s house are not with us anymore.

SHORE: Yes.

PINSKY: And that`s a terrible indictment of what can happen if people don`t stay with treatment, don`t take advantage of treatment. And I always

say, what you articulated, Pauly, the way I see it, there are these mood problems. There`s these traumas, and the performing in front of an

audience is a bid to fill that hole.

But like you said, when you walk off the stage, the hole is still there. It`s not a treatment for these problems.

Next up, how can we understand the death of Robin Williams? Another close friend here to help us after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WILLIAMS: I want the guy who does Mexican soccer to do golf one time. The ball is rolling, the ball is going to the -- hole!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When you were with him just alone, he had no social skills. He couldn`t handle it.

WILLIAMS: Robin, I`m a functioning alcoholic. You can be one, it is like being a paraplegic lap dancer. You can do it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There had to be two people in the room and then you were an audience and then he came alive.

WILLIAMS: I love the guys who say, I watch NASCAR for the racing. Yes, and I watch porn for the acting. You liar!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The highs are highs and lows are lows. And there`s nothing sadder than when a comedian is by himself.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PINSKY: The man you heard from that clip is Bob Zmuda, founder of Comic Relief. He will join us in just a second.

I`m back with Sam, Vanessa and Karamo.

Join us by Skype, our own Janine Driver, author of "You Can`t Lie to Me". Janine has a personal connection to Robin Williams, which we will

tell you about in a few minutes.

Now, Robin Williams did not publicly expose seemingly how much pain he was in, at least certainly not in recent months. The larger-than-life

personality that was something that we all know about and Pauly Shore just gave us an explanation for why as Bob Zmuda said, two people`s an audience,

that`s when they come to get to fill that hole.

But I want to hear from a talk show host, Dick Cavett. His struggle with depression is well know and he said something very profound tonight

about Robin Williams. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DICK CAVETT, TALK SHOW HOST: Once Robin came off from a club where he had just killed them in New York. And we went back into the dressing room.

And they were still cheering. And he said, isn`t it ironic that I can bring all that happiness to those people and not so often to myself.

People will say, what have you got to be depressed about? You`re rich and wealthy and famous and successful. Well, that`s like saying, what have

you gone to have flu about. It`s an illness.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PINSKY: Vanessa, I thought Dick Cavett captured what I was trying to say precisely in that last statement. Does it bring you any closer to that

understanding?

VANESSA BARNETT, SOCIAL COMMENTATOR: Absolutely. I think have you done that. You have definitely opened my eyes and you educate me daily.

And this is no different.

But if I do kind of good back to where it was a struggle for me and I still think is a struggle for other people, I think the difference is, is

we see someone with cancer or with heart issues or something like that. We see it as a condition that they couldn`t control.

And sometimes when you add alcohol or drugs into a scenario, we now feel like, well, you brought this on yourself and I don`t want to say that

that is the case with Robin Williams. And I just think that sometimes that`s how it`s hard to see that this is a disease, because those kind of

things also hurt the family members.

Like I have family members that have struggled with alcohol, with addiction, with drugs and I have seen the relapse happen time and time

again. And I`m angry. I still don`t see it as a disease sometimes because I`m like, why, you`re hurting us. You`re physically, emotionally sometimes

you`re hurting us.

So, it is sometimes difficult to understand. You do a great job of changing minds.

PINSKY: Bringing you closer. But you and I will talk later about that anger. That`s good. That`s appropriate to be angry. But it`s not

appropriate to blame.

Karamo, what say you?

BROWN: Yes, I personally was suffered from deep depression for a very long time. And there was this stigma attached to me being a man, first of

all, in the African-American community where I felt like I could not express what ways feeling and what I was going through. I think Pauly

Shore said it best when he said the stigma creates a lonely existence.

My depression led me to take drugs and do other things. And I still felt like I could not express it.

So, that`s what Vanessa said about people who are, you know, you see them relapse, it`s because they`re scared. They don`t know how to speak

up. They don`t know what to do.

I know it took those around me, who saw that I was struggling to help me get out of this dark place and to bring me back in the light. I`m so

thankful for those close people.

So, I want to make sure that people at home are encouraged that if you see someone depress ordered going through this, that you can help them

through.

PINSKY: Yes. I will tell you that the solution to many of the brain disorders is other brains. Other brains help us grow. Other brains help

us heal.

As long as it is self disclosure night, I have panic disorder. I had depression in college. I have anxiety disorders to this day. That is how

my brain is configured. It is a pain in the neck. But -- And, it does when it gets bad like a seizure, like something from the outside is coming

in. I am sure that is the way the depression felt to you.

But, we got to move on. I want to talk to Bob Zmuda. He is the founder of Comic Relief and his friendship with Robin Williams lasted 35

years. Bob, first, thank you for joining us. And, I want to get your reaction to the Dick Cavett clip and the description of Robin`s illness.

BOB ZMUDA, FOUNDER OF COMIC RELIEF: Well, you see, it is perfect. First, I was a huge Dick Cavett fan. And, when he went through that, I

remember that. And, it is so great because Dick is so bright and for him, I think he hit it. You are right. He hit it right on the head, why,

because he lived it.

PINSKY: Yes.

ZMUDA: He knows. And, Robin hid this better than anyone. And, believe me I have known Robin 35 years before he was a star. And, he

always wanted to keep that energy level in the room, high. It was a psychological impaired for him, you know? He would feel that if the energy

dropped and he was not funny, he was somehow disappointing you.

PINSKY: Wow.

ZMUDA: And, even though you are just a friend of his and he maintained that standard and I think you know, that is part of what happens

when you are a comedian, and you are the top guy. You know, I think it was Steve Allen who said, nobody was faster than Robin ever.

PINSKY: Yes.

ZMUDA: It is almost like he had Tourette.

PINSKY: Yes. It was like he was channelling something. Like people talked about something coming in from the outside again there him.

ZMUDA: Exactly, you know? And, I was Andy Kaufman`s writer for 10 years. So, I know for a fact that Andy had his own demons. Andy had the

multiple personality disorder, when he would do that alter ego Tony Cliffton. He would go off and become another human being for two or three

days. So, it was really something. And, yet, this is part of the genius.

PINSKY: And, Bob, Bob -- I have got about 30 seconds.

ZMUDA: Yes.

PINSKY: Were you as shocked as the rest of us? Or had you however had concerns about him?

ZMUDA: I am shocked what I heard today at the press conference when they got into the details, which I do not think they need to do to the

public.

PINSKY: Yes.

ZMUDA: But, at the same time I got to tell you, Dr. Drew, at the same time, I always sensed that he was never coming clean with me. After

that many years, that there was always -- he always had this wall up.

PINSKY: All right. Here is the deal. Janine, stand by. I want it hear your story. I do not have the chance to get you yet. But, Bob, you

raise another -- I had not heard that piece yet but it does raise another learning opportunity.

Perhaps a gift, this tragedy leaves behind, which is that when people have medical problems, if they do not speak up or are not exquisitely

honest about it, people cannot assess them properly. And particularly with addiction, rigorous honesty is a necessary ingredient in getting better.

Next up, we are going to talk to Janine also but we have thousands of questions you guys are asking on Twitter. I am going to start to address

some of those questions about mental health, addiction, and suicide, right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PINSKY: I am back with Sam, Emily, Vanessa and Janine, and we are discussing the death of Robin Williams and the psychiatric condition that

contribute to a suicide. Janine, you actually knew him as well, tell us your story.

JANINE DRIVER, BLI`S PRESIDENT: I did stand-up comedy, Dr. Drew in my 20s. And, one time, Robin Williams was coming into stand-up New York over

on 78th in Broadway, in New York City. That is me.

PINSKY: Oh, my God! Look at you. Oh, Janine.

(LAUGHING)

DRIVER: This is the World Trade Center right there you are seeing. But the general manager, Tim Davis, said, Janine, get up, you are opening

up for Robin Williams. I did 10 minutes. It was a packed house. I had family in from Boston, in Connecticut. But I met Robin Williams back

stage, Dr. Drew. And, I have to tell you, he was gracious and kind, and just stayed for hours taking pictures with all of the comedians.

And you know, I was trying to be so cool, so I did not get my picture, which I regret. But, I have to tell you a very personal story.

When I heard about what happened with Robin Williams, I was transported back to when I was 17 years old. You know, a stand-up comedian, your

guests are saying it right. It is such a lonely world, that I tried to strangle myself with my own hands to the point where I looked at myself in

the mirror. I was 17. I literally broke the blood vessels in my eyes.

And, the reason I did it is, it was Christmas eve, and my mother and father were ordering Chinese food. And, I wanted them to get more chicken

fingers than they were planning on getting. And, they laughed it off and said, they were only getting two. And, I felt so misunderstood. I am

like, "They do not even understand how important this is. I only like chicken fingers."

I just like spiralled into this unbelievable state of loneliness. And, to hear about his loss, and what had happened, it brought me back to a

very, very sad place. Sometimes even small issues are like life or death. What I believe is, I believe there are two versions of ourselves. I

believe there is our representative that we often send out to meet others and then there is the real us. And, for me it took a while in therapy to

get to know the real me.

PINSKY: Yes. You have to connect to the your genuine affect. The way we say it in treatment. Connect to the real self, another way of

saying it. And, recognizing when there are depressions. Particularly, adolescence do not know when they are that depressed.

And, we got a record number of tweet and comments on the topics. So, tonight, I am answering your questions. Many of you asked me to explain

the link between heart disease, heart treatment and depression. Robin Williams underwent an Aortic Valve Replacement five years ago. Listen to

what he told Ellen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBIN WILLIAMS, OSCAR-WINNING ACTOR AND COMEDIAN: You have a heart surgery, and literally they open you up. They crack the box. And, you get

very vulnerable. You will be like, "A kitten." And, you get very, very emotional about everything.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PINSKY: Another way of describing that is very, very depressed. What Janine just gave a beautiful description of adolescent depression.

Adolescence, just complain of sadness. They get angry and they act out and they get self-destructive and they use drugs and hyper sexual and all kind

of craziness. But, they do not necessarily complain of what Robin Williams just complained of, which is adult depression, which is made worse often

times after a cardiac surgery or just having cardiac disease.

So, I am bringing in Dr. Jeffrey Leiberman. He is the Chairman of Psychiatry of Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. I

have him on the phone. Dr. Leiberman, help me -- help people understand the link between medical conditions and mood disorders and even the

treatments of medical conditions and mood disorders. Something I deal with all the time. And, yet, I brought it up on television, recently, and it

seems like the public was absolutely bewildered by my comments.

DR. JEFFREY LIEBERMAN, CHAIRMAN OF PSYCHIATRY OF COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY: Well, Drew, first let me just applaud you for really making a very -- an

effective effort for trying to communicate what are sometimes complex medical concepts to the public particularly in the context of tragedies or

incidents like this.

But the fact of the matter is, is that Robin Williams died by a pre- meditated suicide. And, it seems to be something, which is so shocking to people because he was such a tremendous talent. He brought joy to people.

He was so gregarious. He was so outwardly involved with life and enjoying life. And, how could that contrast with somebody who is dealing with such

pain that they would want it kill themselves.

But the fact is, he suffered from -- as you point had out repeatedly, from an illness, but not just an illness, but a complicated illness. He

was -- in my opinion, even though shocking, was not surprising what happened, because he was a marked man.

SAMANTHA SCHACHER, SOCIAL COMMENTATOR: Absolutely.

DR. LIEBERMAN: He had many risk factors for suicide.

PINSKY: Yes.

DR. LIEBERMAN: He had pre-existing condition for depression. It was complicated by substance abuse, drug abuse, alcohol, cocaine. As you know

well, given your specialty in addiction medicine, when you use substances - - recreational substance for long periods of time, that actually changes your brain.

PINSKY: Of course.

DR. LIEBERMAN: And, then recently he had heart surgery. There is a well documented body of evidence, which demonstrates that if your heart

disease or heart surgery that in the aftermath you are vulnerable to depression. And, then the last thing I will say, and then stop, is that he

was in the demographic of the highest rate for suicide, and he was in middle-aged white males. So, he had multiple risk factors. I just hope he

was getting the best treatment to try and prevent it, but obviously whatever he was getting was not successful.

PINSKY: Dr. Leiberman, thank you. And, as I pointed out, sometimes the best treatment is unsuccessful. Much like when we try to treat any

other organ system. Great treatment does not always save a life. However, my fear is that sometimes celebrities go for special treatment. And, when

you go for special treatment of any kind, you end up with substandard care. I direct your attention to Conrad Murray. That is all you need to know.

Next up. I am sorry, panel. I did not get a chance to get to you. I did not get the chance to get a lot of the tweets I intended to. We have

a lot going on tonight. And, we are changing gears for the next story. Thank you, Dr. Lieberman. I will explain to you exactly what story I am

getting into. That gentleman, he engages in behavior you will not believe. We will be back to tell you about it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE CORRESPONDENT: Warren Massey, a registered sex offender in the state of Texas since 1992. Yet in 2012, when family in the

town of Murphy made a service call to DirecTV, Massey was one of two men who responded.

During their service call, Massey took pictures of a 12-year-old girl. A gymnast, while she was stretching. That child told police, "After

each picture, he told me, shhh." DirecTV says sex offender Massey was not an employee, that he just tagged along with a subcontractor. A violation

of policy. But police say both men stated they were independent contractors for installers for DirecTV.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PINSKY: Back with Samantha Schacher, and joining us Anahita Sedaghatfar, Attorney, Karamo Brown, and Evy Poumpouras, former special

agent for secret service. Police say the registered sex offender took in at least five photos of this child. He pleaded guilty to attempted

indecency with a child and will spend four years in prison.

According to the police report, the 12-year-old victim was in her short an tank top when she noticed that he was taking pictures. She went

it a different area thinking he would stop. The suspect followed her and continued to take pictures. Evy, what do we do with stories like this?

EVY POUMPOURAS, ON-AIR SECURITY AND INVESTIGATIVE ANALYST: I think stories like this are a reminder that you really need to be aware of who

you are letting in to your home. One of the things you can do when you are letting somebody into your home, check their I.D., their work I.D. and then

compare that as well to their driver`s license.

And, then when they are in your home, stay with them. Just because somebody works for a big company like DirecTV or any company, it does not

mean you know who they are. You see the shirt with the logo. But what does that mean? That is just a title. It does not give you any indication

about the character of the individuals you are letting into your home.

And, another thing, Dr. Drew, do not assume that every company does a proper vetting of their employees. Sex offenders, criminal offenders, they

all have jobs, OK? And, they work somewhere. So, always be aware of who you are letting inside your home. It is your responsibility as well.

PINSKY: Anahita, you smiled at that. Are you thinking of so many people should protect themselves?

ANAHITA SEDAGHATFAR, T.V. LEGAL ANALYST/DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Well, I mean I was just smiling that I just cannot imagine that anyone that has

these people coming into their home is going to say, "Can I see a photo I.D. and make sure it matches your license. I think, ultimately, sometimes

things like this happen.

PINSKY: Well, hang on, Anahita. Evy, is going, "Oh, yeah. I asked everybody." I have seen --

SEDAGHATFAR: It could be a fake id.

PINSKY: I have seen Evy at work.

SEDAGHATFAR: Yes. I have too.

PINSKY: She does not care.

SEDAGHATFAR: I have too. I have too.

PINSKY: Go ahead, Evy.

SEDAGHATFAR: I mean that is a great idea. I am not trying to discourage people from doing that.

PINSKY: OK. Hang on. Let`s hear what she says. Hold on. Well, let`s her finish that, then I will go back to Anahita. Go ahead.

POUMPOURAS: I want to say one thing, when a police officer comes to your home, the first thing everybody does is say, "I want to see your I.D."

Yet, we do not do it for the service individuals that come in to your home. So, when you check people`s I.D., you can look for count. You can look for

any inconsistencies.

But, again, just because somebody`s I.D. does check out, I give you this, Anahita, your correct, it does not mean that person does not have a

criminal record or any indicators in their past. It is one layer of security that you can give yourself. But, at end of the day, you do not

know who is coming into your house.

PINSKY: Anahita, every time I talk to Evy, I freak out for various reasons and here I am again today. But, go ahead say your thoughts.

SEDAGHATFAR: She is scaring you. I was just saying, ultimately, I think that the onus falls upon DirecTV, because it does not matter if this

guy was an independent contractor, a subcontractor, if somebody else brought him in here.

Ultimately, DirecTV is the big pocket, and when something bad like this happened -- or I should say, deep pocket. They are going to be sued.

They are going to on the line. So, it absolutely, be them to ensure that anyone like affiliated with DirecTV, especially people going into people`s

homes, that they are background checked, and it is not expensive. It is not a difficult thing to do, because the exposure is too high.

PINSKY: All right. We are going to hear from the attorney representing the family. Karamo, 15 seconds. Last thought.

KARAMO BROWN, TELEVISION HOST: Anahita, you are wrong. The DirecTV is not at fault here. The mother is at fault. Too little, too late. How

do you let your daughter to be alone --

PINSKY: All right. Sam has a reaction. Everybody`s reaction to this story. Next up, You will hear from the family. They do not want this to

happen to you, and listen to Evy, by the way. Back after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PINSKY: Back with Sam, Anahita, Karamo and Evy. We are talking about the registered sex offender, who took pictures of a 12-year-old girl during

a satellite television service call, when he was not even supposed to be on. On the phone, I have Attorney Rob Crane. He represents the family

suing the television provider. Rob, have you heard back from DirecTV about the lawsuit?

ROB CRANE, FAMILY ATTORNEY: We have not. We have not heard anything from them.

PINSKY: And, Anahita, you just said it would be appropriate for them to go after DirecTV, yes?

SEDAGHATFAR: Absolutely. I think they are liable. They are the deep pockets. And, if they had just return this attorney`s calls, apparently,

he tried to reach out for two years to get answers, this could have probably been avoided, because the family wanted answers.

DirecTV was ignoring them. And, now, they are going to have to pay, Dr. Drew, you know, thousands and thousands of dollars in defense cost.

Probably another $100,000 in a judgment or potential settlement. Not to mention the PR for DirecTV is absolutely horrible. So, a lot of times

these lawsuits can really be avoided if these companies will just respond. Apologize. Provide answers.

PINSKY: Samantha?

SCHACHER: Yes. Anahita -- Yes, I agree with you a 100 percent. It is called customer service 101. And, you know what, Karamo? I have to

respond to you. You are blaming this mother. This mother was also attending to a new born and she was trying to protect her daughter. There

is a two-hour window when they were there --

BROWN: I do not care, Sam. I am sorry.

SCHACHER: -- Hold on. I agree with you, ideally, but at the end of the day it is DirecTV`s fault. They are the one that are conducting the

background checks.

PINSKY: I got to hear from the attorney. Rob, tell us the background on this situation.

CRANE: Well, the DirecTV folks have been there for several hours. And both parents were at the home. They had the infant daughter in the

bedroom and the 12-year-old was sick and that is why she was not at gymnastics class, why she was practicing in the room next door to the mom.

The mom did not want the 12-year-old in the bedroom while she was tending to the infant who was a premature baby, and so she was closed by.

And, as soon as the daughter made any reference to mom about the issue, mom was just feet away and was in there confronting the perpetrator while the

father was upstairs with the other DirecTV installer showing him the area in the attic where that gentleman needed to be working.

PINSKY: Evy?

SEDAGHATFAR: Right.

POUMPOURAS: One of the things I want to mention is, sir, do you not think at some point, though, that father should have maintained visuals of

both individuals in the home? But, you know, at that point, because he is separating and he has an individual who is randomly walking through the

house.

PINSKY: He may have thought there was visuals. Let`s hear what they say. Rob?

CRANE: This is the fear of every family out there in America. You cannot keep an eye on two children and two installers when they are in

different directions and you are under the confidence that this global international company, DirecTV, has provided vetted screened employees that

are there.

The trust factor with this big name of DirecTV is what most people rely on when the strangers come in the door, and that is not happening.

DirecTV had no idea who was coming into this home. The parents did everything they could do.

PINSKY: And, I am learning from Evy that we all have to take really good, great care, when someone goes into the house. And, Karamo, I think

the issue here, when have you a sick child and premature baby, everyone is dividing responsibilities. And, I think that is what allowed this, rather,

cunning gentleman to split them.

BROWN: Well, I just say, parents out there. Prepare your children, the same way you teach them how to talk. Teach them how to protect

themselves, and let that be something you do consistently as they get older, not just when their children.

PINSKY: For sure. For sure. Evy, I got limited time. Go, 20 seconds.

POUMPOURAS: Two things, I think this is great that they are suing DirecTV, because they will set the precedence for companies; but, the other

thing, again, I want to point out. Everybody, do not make the assumption that these companies vet their people properly. Do not trust these

organizations. They are there to do your cable. They are there to check your gas. They are there to check your electricity. They are not always

vetted properly.

PINSKY: Sam, five seconds.

SCHACHER: Yes. I just want to commend that young girl for running immediately to her mom and then they called the police.

PINSKY: There you go. DVR us anytime and you can watch us anytime. Thank you, Rob Crane for your input on this story. Forensic Files is up

now, begins immediately.

END